Dr. Shannon BriggsDepartment of Natural Resources and Environment

Top Ten Great Lakes Beaches

Nominations to Dr. Beach due 10/31/10(Dr. Stephen Leatherman)

Submission deadline is October 31, 2010

http://www.drbeach.org/gl_reg.htm

16 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Projects

for 224 Beaches in Michigan

Builds on 5 years of work…

Great Lakes InteragencyTask Force

Map Image Courtesy of GLIN

PartnersProjectsProgress

A story of collaborations…

Federal Collaboration onBeach Health in the Great Lakes

Remediation, Decision Support,& Environmental Research

Monitoring & ModelingResearch

Operational Forecasting& Research

BEACH HEALTH INTERAGENCYCOORDINATION TEAM

Beach Water QualityForecastingCoordinator

Courtesy of David Rockwell

Local Partners

25 Coastal Health Departments

41 Coastal Counties

613 Great Lakes public beaches

GLRIBeach-Focused Opportunities

1. Beach Sanitary Surveys2. Models3. Communication4. Rapid Methods

Michigan Strategy

Statewide effort involving Michigan’s DNRE and its partners to develop, refine, and use new tools to improve beach water quality and provide timely, meaningful information to the public.

Focus on Fixing224 Beaches

• in Areas of Concern• scheduled for a TMDL• at risk for the 303(d) list• need better monitoring

Great Lakes Monitoring Great Lakes Monitoring FrequencyFrequency

Each point represents a single Each point represents a single 2008 beach location2008 beach location

Results may be influenced by Results may be influenced by frequent monitoring at highly frequent monitoring at highly urban beachesurban beaches–– However, some However, some

frequentlyfrequently--monitoredmonitoredbeaches have fewer beaches have fewer than 5 yearly than 5 yearly exceedancesexceedances

May be difficult to interpret data May be difficult to interpret data where monitoring takes where monitoring takes place fewer than 3 days a place fewer than 3 days a week (45 samples)week (45 samples)

Meredith B. NeversMeredith B. NeversUSGS, Great Lakes Science CenterUSGS, Great Lakes Science CenterSheridan K. HaackSheridan K. HaackUSGS, Michigan Water Science CenterUSGS, Michigan Water Science Center

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Identify Potential Contamination Sources

Investigate areas with high countsInitial thoughts are on storm water and

nonpoint sources

Other sourcesSite-specific sources

Beach Sanitary Surveys13 selected proposals (out of 43)

1.Improve use of sanitary surveys, wet weather monitoring, initiate source tracking, increase frequency of monitoring

2.Source Tracking at TMDL & at risk beaches3.Fix the problems (bulldozers, engineers)

Provided foundation for all projects

Beach Sanitary SurveysImprove use of sanitary surveys, wet weather monitoring, initiate source tracking, increase frequency of monitoring

Beach Sanitary SurveysSource Tracking with MSU at

14 beaches (AOC,TMDL)

Beach Sanitary SurveysGrand Haven City Beach, Grand Haven State Park Beach,

and Rosy Mound Recreation Area Beach In Ottawa County

Pier Park Beach in Wayne County

Metropolitan Beach & Memorial Park Beach in Macomb County

Bay City Recreational Area Beach, Whites Beach, & Caseville County Park Beach in Saginaw Bay

Four Mile Beach & Sugar Island Township Park Beach in Chippewa County

Traverse City State Park Beach, Bryant Park Beach, & East Bay Park Beach in Grand Traverse Bay

Beach Forecasting Models2 of 8 selected proposals

Developing & Integrating Models5 beaches

Forecasting Beach and NearshoreHealth Effects Using QMRA

Developing & Integrating Models:5 beaches

Ottawa County

Bay County

Macomb County

Forecasting Beach and NearshoreHealth Effects Using QMRA

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment

Mark H. Weir Ph.D.Joanna M. Pope Ph.D.

Forecasting Beach and NearshoreHealth Effects Using QMRA

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment

Mark H. Weir Ph.D.Joanna M. Pope Ph.D.

CommunicatingBeach Data to the Public

1 of 5 selected proposals

1. Training Videos for Rapid Methods� qPCR and IMS-ATP

2. Workshops & Online Material� Journalists and Beach Managers

3. In-depth News Coverage� Beach and Nearshore Health Issues

Healthier Great Lakes Beaches

Rapid Methods1 of 5 selected proposals

Building Beach Manager’s Capacity for Using Rapid ToolsTraining effort from a collaboration of members of the

Great Lakes Beach Association

Onsite Training and Technical AssistanceQA/QC

How to ManualOnline Tools, References, & Resources

Production will eventually provide online Training video and DVD

Rapid Methods TrainingPI: Shannon Briggs

CoPI: Erin Dreelin

PI: Shannon Briggs

HEALTH DEPARTMENTS AND RELEVANT BEACHES-Ottawa County Health Department (Lake Michigan)-Health Department of Northwest (Lake Michigan, Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Huron)-Bay County Health Department (Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron)-Macomb County Health Department (Lake St. Clair)-Chippewa County Health Department/Lake Superior State University (Lake Superior, St Marys River)

CoPI: Asli Aslan-Yilmaz CoPI: Erin Dreelin

Designing the workshop materials, lecture in the workshops. development of the how to manual, perform the on-site training, Co-ordinate the intercalibration study between the health departmentsbetween health departments.

Oversee the communication with the health departments, facilitating the workshops.

CoPI: Irene Xagoraraki

Advisor: Julie Kinzelman

Oversee the methodology in training tools, lecture in the workshops

Assist with the development of the “how to manual”, lecture in the workshops

Advisor: Donna Francy

Coordinate with USGS workshops

Beach Sanitary SurveysFix the problems

(Bulldozers, Engineers, Drain Commissioners)

Bryant Park BeachRemediation

Restoring Three Arenac County Beaches

Beach Sanitary SurveysRestoring Three Arenac County Beaches

Whites BeachTwiningRoad Beach

Singing Bridge Beach

Beach Sanitary SurveysBryant Park Beach Remediation

AbTech

PartnersProjectsProgress

Ottawa County BeachesPARTNERS: The OCHD will collaborate with researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Geological Survey, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, and the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University.

Researchers from those organizations have expressed interest in accessing data gathered through this sanitary survey project to create water quality forecasting and/or predictive modeling tools. Once created, those tools will empower the OCHD to make more effective and timely public health decisions to protect nearshore health.

Ottawa County BeachesPLAN: This sanitary surveying project will use the EPA’s standardized form and will call for measurements of a number of environmental and meteorological data present during the time of sampling. Water samples for E. coli and enterococcibacteria will also be collected during the sanitary surveys and processed at the OCHD. Those surveys will be conducted four times per week at both beaches during the twenty week summer swim season. The OCHD will conduct this project during the summers of 2010 and 2011.

Ottawa County BeachesPROGRESS:

Reduction in number of beach closures or advisories issued;

Development of other water quality management tools with the data collected, such as forecast models, at project beaches;

Reduction of pollution sources impacting Great Lakes beaches;

Ottawa County BeachesPROGRESS (continued):

Improved water quality at Great Lakes beaches due to reduction in pathogen indicator organisms, algal, and chemical contamination;

Improved protection of public health at Great Lakes beaches;

Increased coordination and collaboration among water and health departments;

Increased knowledge of sources of pollution impacting Great Lakes beaches for better beach management decisions.

Ottawa County BeachesNext Steps?

Take Steps to the Beach!